Homemade Sikhye (Korean Rice Punch)

Korean rice drink served in glass bowls with jujube flower garnish.

Homemade Sikhye (Korean Rice Punch)

Traditional Korean sikhye made with barley malt and cooked rice. Use an Instant Pot or rice cooker for this refreshing, sweet rice drink.

Course Drinks

Cuisine Korean

Diet Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword Instant Pot sikhye, Korean rice punch, Korean sweet rice drink, rice cooker sikhye, Sikhye, sikhye recipe

Prep Time 35

Cook Time 20

Steeping time 6

Total Time 6 55

Servings cups

Calories 284

Author Hyegyoung K. Ford

Equipment

instant pot or rice cooker
linen or cotton pouch See note #1 below

Ingredients

3 cup (360 g) barley malt
12 cups (2.8 L) warm water
2 cups (320 g) cooked rice short grain white rice
3-4 slices (about 8–10 g, 0.5 cm thick) ginger optional
1 1/2 - 2 cups (300–400 g) sugar
a few dried jujube to garnish, optional
a few pine nuts to garnish, optional

Instructions

Prepare malt barley water

If using a clean fabric pouch, either cotton or linen, put malt barley in a pouch and tie up with a string and secure very tightly. Put the pouch in a bowl of warm water. See note #1 if you don't use a fabric pouch.
While the pouch is in the water, manually press and squeeze the pouch multiple times to squeeze out the malt powder from the barley so it can mix with the water. Do this for about 1-2 minutes. Squeeze out the pouch tightly to get all the good juices out. Discard the malt barley left inside the pouch.
Let the malt barley water sit for at least 30 minutes. The starch will sink to the bottom. Then carefully, without shaking the bowl, pour the malt liquid into another bowl leaving the sunken starch behind. Be careful not to let the sediment fall in. (A little bit going in is okay.) Discard the starch.

Steep the rice until the grains float

Add the cooked rice to the Instant Pot or rice cooker and gently break up any clumps with a rice paddle. Pour in the strained barley malt liquid and stir.
Cover and use the Keep Warm setting. Let the mixture steep for 4–8 hours, depending on your appliance. Check after about 4 hours. When several rice grains rise to the surface, the sikhye is ready for the next step.
The mixture should stay gently warm without simmering. Appliance temperatures vary, so avoid settings that bring the liquid to a boil during this stage.
Add sugar to your liking, along with ginger slices if using. Bring the sikhye to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes. This deactivates the malt enzymes and prevents further starch conversion. Skim off any foam for a cleaner-looking drink.
Divide the sikhye into smaller, shallow containers to cool quickly, then refrigerate promptly. Keep refrigerated for up to 3–4 days. For longer storage, freeze in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months, leaving room for expansion.

To garnish sikhye

Sikhye is usually served in a small bowl, often with rice grains floating on top and sometimes garnished with pine nuts and jujube slices.
To get the rice grains to float, rinse them in water and set them aside until serving. This step is mainly for visual appeal and is optional in the recipe.
For a fun twist, partially freeze the sikhye and then break it into a slushy texture using a spoon or fork. Enjoy your sikhye slush!

Notes

Don't have a fabric pouch? You can soak the barley malt directly in the water, and rub it with both of your hands harshly to extract all the malt from the barley. Remove the barley with a fine strainer. Make sure you remove all the small barley pieces.

Nutrition